Introduction
Dener Augusto de Sousa, usually known simply as Dener (born April 2, 1971 in São Paulo, São Paulo state, Brazil; died April 18, 1994 in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), was a Brazilian football center-forward. He played twice for the Brazil national team.
Career
Youth career
Dener started his career at São Paulo's youth squad, in 1988, but after just two months he moved to Portuguesa's youth squad. In 1991, playing for Portuguesa, he won the Copa São Paulo de Juniores, and was elected the competition's best player.
Professional career
In 1989, he was promoted to Portuguesa's first team squad, where he stayed until 1993, playing 47 Campeonato Brasileiro Série A matches, and scoring seven goals. In 1993, Corinthians failed to sign him, and then he was loaned to Grêmio of Porto Alegre, where he won the Rio Grande do Sul State Championship, and played four Copa do Brasil matches in that year. In the following year he was loaned to Vasco of Rio de Janeiro, where he played two Copa do Brasil matches and scored a goal, and posthumously won the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.
National team
Dener played two matches for the Brazil national team, managed by Paulo Roberto Falcão. On March 27, 1991, he played against Argentina, and two months later, on May 28, he played against Bulgaria.
Death
On April 18, 1994 in Rio de Janeiro, he died in a car accident, when his Mitsubishi Eclipse, crashed into a tree at Borges de Medeiros Avenue, in the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas district. The car's driver was Dener's friend, Oto Gomes de Miranda, who lost both legs in the accident. Dener was strangled by the car's seat belt.
Achievements
Dener won three competitions:
| Year | Club | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Portuguesa | Copa São Paulo de Juniores |
| 1993 | Grêmio | Campeonato Gaúcho |
| 1994 | Vasco | Campeonato Carioca |